Given mercury, diamond, hexanes, a solution of sodium chloride, water, plastic, and solid potassium chloride, WHICH substances are electrical conductors?

Question

Kai Bowman · Accepted Answer

undefined Conductors: Mercury, hexanes (as a liquid), a solution of sodium chloride, water (to some extent), and solid potassium chloride.
Insulators: Diamond and plastic.

Mateo Aguilar · Answer

#"Conductors:"# #"Mercury;"# #"NaCl(aq);"# #"Aluminum;"# #"Herbert von Karajan"#

#"Conductors:"# #"Mercury;"# #"NaCl(aq);"# #"Aluminum;"#

#"Non-conductors:"# #"Hexanes (petrol);"# #H_2O";"# #"plastic;"# #"diamond;"# #KCl(s)#

Conductivity depends on free electrons or charged particles that are free to move. #NaCl(aq)# has got the latter, but #KCl(s)# ain't got it.

An electrolyte is a material that produces an electrically conductive solution when dissolved in an aqueous solution. #NaCl# has this property, and so does #KCl# WHEN DISSOLVED in an aqueous solution.

It is evident that hexanes, plastic, and diamond are also non-electrolytes. The autoprotolysis reaction renders water extremely weakly electrolytic.

#2H_2O(l)rightleftharpoonsH_3O^+ + HO^-#